


shoot me in the back of my head

by duaa



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2 [5]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Knives, Mentions of Death, Platonic but I dont mind if you read it as romantic, Post-Apocalypse, Robots, ask to tag, broken angel, passive suicidal behaviour, sand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24368419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duaa/pseuds/duaa
Summary: "We're getting closer.""Bet. Look there, see it, in the distance?" Virgil pointed to the looming grey mountains in the distance. Sometimes, Roman was just... a ditz. Virgil would have reprimanded him for wasting his watch's battery life, but Roman had a lifetime subscription that was automatically renewed. And sometimes Virgil just couldn't bring himself to say anything. Mostly the former, of course.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748965
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	shoot me in the back of my head

Virgil winced as dust flew into his eyes, blinking furiously. Why did he forget his googles at home, goddamnit! Roman huffed beside him, calloused hands gripping his bicep. Roman almost never let go of Virgil (not that he minded). Virgil squinted up at the harsh sun - which was a foolish thing to do in the first place - wincing yet again as it burned into his retinas. He quickly looked down, seeing white visions of the sun floating around his vision. Roman pulled out his watch, checking how far away they were. Virgil scuffed his shoe against the red dirt, grimacing when he remembered that these were his shoes, why was he ruining them? Just because they stopped walking doesn't mean he should _destroy_ his belongings. Roman tugged at his arm.

"We're getting closer."

"Bet. Look there, see it, in the distance?" Virgil pointed to the looming grey mountains in the distance. Sometimes, Roman was just... a ditz. Virgil would have reprimanded him for wasting his watch's battery life, but Roman had a lifetime subscription that was automatically renewed. And sometimes Virgil just couldn't bring himself to say anything. Mostly the former, of course. 

"Fuck." Roman sighed, rubbing his forehead. They trudged along, shoes crunching the thick layer of sand over the asphalt that peeked out near establishments and buildings. Apart from the low ringing only heard by Virgil's ears, they walked in silence, humming machinery left way behind. There was nothing at the heart of the city, quarters and housing all located along outskirts. It was easier this way, placing nothing in the centre. Well, not nothing, there was _something_ at the centre. Leaving it empty would be a waste of housing and land. There was nothing - but the Dumps.

Virgil had heard of days when dumpsters came with some sort compactor or something along those lines, crushing garbage and recycling metal. He would've said that it would be useful now.

But seeing as neither those dumps nor that machinery were still in commission, it was safe to say that they were utterly useless and unnecessary. 

Now, dumps were just humongous mountains of trash, heaps and heaps and heaps. Which was good for people like Virgil, people like Roman, people who had no where to find things. Of course, he could register as a Citizen, lose his rights and freedom and get things - or, he could stay unregistered and still get things. The methods were questionable, but Virgil did not have the time to sit around questioning things. 

Things. 

He was looking for 'things'. Metal, tools, paper, outdated technology. Things. A new factory - well, an old factory - had been introduced into their city during the merging. Virgil loved it when cities merged. It meant more 'trash' in the Dumps. More Citizens providing for Virgil. More factories providing for Roman. It was great. This new - old, actually - factory was great. Prototypes. Of all sorts of AI. Which meant metal, wires, batteries - everything Virgil could sell and Roman could use. 

"Wires." Roman muttered as they approached the Dump. There were wires. Of course, there had always been wires. Roman never really accompanied him, he was still relatively new to this. To living unregistered. His mom died (a Citizen) and then he found out that she hadn't registered him. A smart, smart lady. Roman had been with them for over a year, this was his first raid. It wouldn't have been his first (he was adamant on living a somewhat registered life), except Virgil refused to bring extra parts for him. He didn't mind, it was just that Roman's attitude was really pissing everyone off. Holier than thou. 'Get me this, Virge!' or 'Ew, Virge, what is this?!'. So he refused, and now Roman was here. To find the best of the worst in the Dumps. 

"Yeah. C'mon, Princey, up we go." He gathered the skinnier boy in his arms, leaping over the bunch of wires that lay seemingly scattered over the ground with practised ease. Roman was sputtering, hands griping onto Virgil's neck iron tight. Deciding to take advantage of the situation, Virgil sprinted, refusing to let Roman on the ground. Virgil was way, way faster than Roman, thanks to his now illegal prosthetics. They were illegal because of how much they hurt. Prosthetics weren't enhancements, back when Virgil needed them. They were necessities. Something he needed to survive. So he got what was hot and fresh, super speed ones. Fast forward a few days and his legs lobster red, skin burning and nerves shot to death. He moaned and screamed in pain, condition worsening when they tried to remove his prosthetics. Now, he stays hooked on dourphine, painkiller extraordinaire. 

"Virge, c'mon, let me down!" He slowed down near the foot of a heap of trash, easily fifty feet tall. "I- will you just put me down!" 

"Yeah, yeah. We wouldn't have made it here till next week if I hadn't done that." He lowered Roman, crossing his arms. "We're doing that on the way back." Roman waved him off, stalking closer to a particularly dull bundle of metal. Virgil shook his head, leave it to Roman to start blundering around.

"Roman. Don't touch the base just yet." He whipped around to face Virgil, sheets of metal in his hands. "Just, listen to me. Come here." He dragged Roman along with him, circling the heap. 

"See this side, how everything looks a lot more compact and put together. We go up this way, because it's more likely to hold our weight." Roman's face paled at that. 

"Go up? We're climbing?"

"Yes. We can't get enough from the bases alone. Besides, you're only climbing the smaller ones, okay? Don't worry." Virgil felt bad for Roman. Sure, when he first arrived Virgil hated that prat, but that was in the past now. Roman quit his act and was now a lot less insufferable. Which meant that Virgil had a harder time disliking him. Roman was barely younger than him, but in terms of experience, he really worried Virgil sometimes. What if there was a raid? What if he met another unregistered? There was a delicate way of doing things, and Virgil wasn't sure he understood them. Virgil learnt all that himself as a child, when everyone looked out for you. Roman couldn't have Virgil with him all the time, he needed to learn these things himself. Like scavenging. But he looked so scared. Although he didn't show it, Virgil could tell he was petrified. 

"It's really easy, okay? Don't worry about it."

"I- who says I'm worried?" 

Virgil nodded at him, turning to survey the scene. He glanced at Roman who looked pale as a sheet. Maybe it was easier for Virgil than it would be for Roman. What if Roman _fell_? Virgil fell one time. It was... not something he wished on anyone, let alone Roman. 

Right.

"Okay, you know what, change of plans. I don't think these piles can support both of us. Um, I'll just throw things down, catch them, okay?"

"Yeah." Roman relaxed slightly. Virgil scampered up the hill, silently vowing to teach Roman next time. He looked around, checking things off of his mental checklist as he tossed them down, moving methodically. When he was inspecting a syringe, something caught his eye. Something blue glowed nearby, and panic seized him. He'd never seen that before. What was that doing here? Why was it glowing? What sort of light was powered - wait. He hadn't seen that when they came in. Oh _fuck_!

"Hey, you good up there?" Roman called out, and Virgil shook himself. 

"Yeah. I'm coming down, stay close, okay?" In a flash, he was down with Roman, griping his arm as he searched for the thing he saw. 

"Uh..."

His eyes widened as his eyes caught it, flashing nearby. "See that blue thing?" He pointed at it, dragging Roman along him as he creeped near.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Dunno." Virgil reached into his pocket, grasping the handle of his hammer. They slunk closer to that heap, eyes set on the glow. It seemed to be a part of a capsule type box, about as tall as Virgil. Rusty looking black metal adorned with brown tape, the box had an LED, emitting the offending blue light. Roman shuffled behind him, and Virgil brandished his hammer. "Think we should open it?"

"NO!" Roman yelped, hands gripping Virgil's waist, nails digging into his shirt. 

"Yeah, we should definitely open it. There could be so much that we could use inside!" Any other time, Virgil would have agreed with Roman and sprinted out of here. But they were low on supplies. They didn't have nearly enough batteries, or wire, or copper, or medical equipment. And Virgil didn't want another night where they had to restrain Thomas because they were out of syringes for his dourphine, or another day spent starving - just because he was too chicken to open a _box_. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We could _die_!" That was another difference between Roman and the rest of the unregistered. If Virgil were to die today, right here - he wouldn't give a flying fuck. Remus would just come look for him if he didn't return by midnight. Organs were expensive, and paid a _lot_. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything else Virgil's life offered that he wanted. He didn't have a warm bed and a family to return to. Roman... also had nothing to return to, his self preservation was still working was all. 

Virgil gingerly touched the door handle, even if there was nothing of use inside, the light would come in handy. How the light stayed on, Virgil didn't know. He twisted the handle, and wrenched the door open, leaping beside the door, shielding himself from whatever came out.Roman let out a strangled yelp. Nothing jumped out. He gingerly peeked over the door to try and see what was inside. 

"VIRGIL!" Roman buried his face in Virgil's back, arms snaking around him as he stood, pressed against him. "Oh my god, I'm so scared, oh no, Virgil please can we just go home, I don't like this..." Virgil turned around, pulling Roman close. And if he did this for his own benefit rather than Roman's... well, who's to say? 

"Hey, it's okay, you're alright. Let's just look inside, and if anything comes at us, I can get you and we can scram, okay?" Roman nodded against his chest, not letting go. Not that Virgil minded or anything. But they did have work to get back to. "Okay, let's look, yeah?" They separated, and Virgil stalked out from behind the door, hammer ready when -

"OH SHIT!" There was a _human_ inside, standing up straight with metal restraints around their limbs. "OH MY GOD!" Never in his whole life had he ever seen a human, trapped inside a box -

"Ohh, hey, I know what that is!" Roman's hand left his arm as he walked towards it. "Don't worry, it isn't an actual human." Virgil breathed out a sigh of relief when Roman turned around.

"Wait a minute, you seriously thought this was a human!" He exclaimed.

"Um, yeah?" Roman chuckled, reaching into the box. "You don't see these wires coming out of your human's arms and legs? It's a robot. Okay, get ready for a lesson in 'Robots For Citizens'!" He made quotation marks in the air. "You know Ethos, Pathos and Logos, right?"

"Yeah." Sort of. Just an inkling. Maybe he was just guessing. 

"Well, this one company, CetLife, made this line of robots, and they were Ethos, Pathos and Logos, okay? They were supposed to be like another part of your family, which is why they look so realistic. So, obviously, Logos robots were the smartest and then the Ethos ones, and finally Pathos was kinda ehh. So the thing was, Logos robots started developing emotions. Sentience, which is kinda ironic if you think about it. And then the Ethos robots started doing the same. Pathos robots already came with a few emotions, but they started developing more emotions, like anger and resentment. So they had to destroy those robots, because you know, it's not good when your AI starts becoming more and more independent."

"And this one is?"

"Logos."

"So it's super smart and has emotions and can probably kill us?"

"You would think that, but, would it make logical sense to kill the people who turned you on? No, right? Which means he won't. Unless he's been thoroughly corrupted."

"How do we know if it's corrupted?"

"One way to find out." Roman reached out, flicking a switch located on the wall. The blue light dimmed, and for a moment, nothing else happened. "Huh, that's weird." 

"Whew, that's good, if it can't turn on, it can't kill -" The robot opened it's eyes, staring directly at Virgil who yelped and reached out for Roman. 

"Wait, wait, it's fine, it's still restrained!" Roman exclaimed as the light ebbed even more. 

"Please..." Virgil shot out, pulling Roman back. The robot's mouth moved. It _spoke_. "Please..." 

"W-what was that?" Roman cautiously called out.

The robot moaned, and if Virgil hadn't known that that was a robot, he would have definitely assumed it to be a human. "I promise, please..." It remained slack in it's position, unmoving. 

"Um..." They slowly creeped towards it, and Virgil could tell Roman wanted to get it out. "What happened to you?" 

It didn't respond, chest heaving. "Please..." 

"How do we know it's not corrupted?" Virgil hissed.

"It isn't. Trust me, Virge, it isn't." 

"How do you know?!"

"Because corruption for this line of robots means piecing them together, like a part of Ethos soldered onto this one! Listen, I've seen these things before, you have to trust me!"

"Yeah, but -"

"I had a Pathos. Okay? I had one, and I know what happens and you just need to trust me on this!" Roman reached into the metal box, pressing against what looked like some sort of switches near the robot's head. The restraints clicked open, but the robot made no movement to get out. 

"I pro-" It broke off, humming low static. "I pro-" 

Roman and Virgil exchanged a look. Virgil stepped forward, and they both grabbed a shoulder, peeling it out of it's box. Out from the shadows of it's cage, Virgil could see the wear and tear on it, pale skin peeled back to reveal a bundle of wires, frayed and cut off. They let go of it once it was out, expecting it to stay upright, but it crumpled to the ground, fingers twitching. Roman knelt beside it, inspecting the wires spilling out. He pulled out a couple of wires from his pocket, attaching them together. 

"What are you doing?" Virgil hissed at him. "We need those!"

"Yeah, yeah, I can take them out later!" Roman continued, connecting them all together. Virgil would have thought that it would have been a lot more... complicated than that, just connecting pieces of wire together seemed a little too easy. Just as Roman finished with all the wires in that arm, it's hand shot up, fingers flexing experimentally. It raised it's hand, peeling away skin at it's throat, revealing a single wire torn apart. Roman quickly got to work, and Virgil couldn't help but wonder whether they were just helping their own murder by fixing this deranged robot. 

"Thank you." It said, and as Roman shifted to it's other arm, Virgil laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't! What if it's dangerous? Just, leave it be for now." Roman nodded. 

"So, what happened to you, Logos?"

"Logan."

"Huh?"

"I'm Logan. I belonged to the Kiscos. Citizen numbers 18J0128P. I was last shut down at 8 PM on Thursday. Today is Sunday."

"So the Kiscos threw you out?"

"No. CetLife found me. They killed the Kiscos." Virgil inhaled, noting how the robot's eyes were turning watery. "It's illegal to still have a Logos or Ethos."

"What about Pathos?"

"No one with a Pathos survived." Roman opened his mouth, before closing it. "The Kiscos' daughter made me sync into the Net, which in turn alerted CetLife of my presence."

"This can not be where they throw robots!" Roman exclaimed.

"It isn't wher-" Static again. Virgil yelped as he saw _blood_ leak out of Logan's mouth. 

"Why is it bleeding?!" 

"That's battery acid, don't touch it!" 

"It looks like blood!"

"Virgil, a robot can't bleed blood!" It's hand twitched. 

The static stopped. "Hello. I'm Logos, your artificial lifeform. Please connect me to the Net to start using my services. Please connect me to the Net to start using my services."

"Logan?"

"Searching for Logan. Logan is a noun, another term for -" Static again. More blood - battery acid? - poured out of it's mouth. The static stopped abruptly. 

"What's happening?"

"My motherboard has suffered a lot of damage. I was supposed to be reset before being thrown away. The paperwork associated with the discovery of a Logos seemed too tremendous to go the effort, so I was shut off before resetting and was transported here."

Virgil pulled Roman up. "Look man, we need to take our shit and go. It's getting late, and if we don't make it back before midnight, Remus is gonna come look for us."

"Can we take him with us?"

'No! Are you shitting me? What if it accidentally connects to the Net? Then we're all done for!"

"Right, but he won't!" Static again. "Look, I can repair him!" The robot moaned again, hand trembling. 

"And do what with it? It's of no use to us. It's just a liability." They lapsed into silence, short pants coming from the robot. "Roman, you can't endanger others lives because of this, this tin can, okay?" 

"But... I, it just feels... we can't just leave him here!"

"Sure we can. Come on, get your wires." 

"Please! No, no, no, no! I swear, I don't have emotions, please no!" Roman flinched at that. 

"Roman... we can't bring it with us." Roman nodded, kneeling by the robot. 

"Hey, Logan. I'm sorry, but we need to go, okay?" 

"Please no, I swear, I didn't mean to develop them -" Static. "Hello. I'm Logos, your artificial lifeform. Please connect me to the Net to start using my services." 

"Roman, now!" The younger boy quickly go to work, starting with the throat first. Virgil stared at it, at Logan. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't Virgil's fault. It wasn't Roman's fault. 

"I - we just can't remove it's wires, right?" Roman pleaded. 

"Won't it be a better death? Instead of just rotting away here?" 

"I... guess. We'll remove it's battery first." 

"Please, plea- no, no -" Static spilled from his lips, and Virgil's heart twisted. 

"No. It's, just leave it. We'll put it back in, and turn, turn it off." 

Roman scrambled to his feet, and they stuffed it back inside. The static never stopped. Roman pressed the switches again, and the restraints clicked back in place. 

"Are you leaving?" Roman nodded. 

"Hey, sit tight, okay? We'll be back soon. We can't take you back home like this, cause, cause we don't know how. Okay? We'll come back tomorrow." 

"Please hurry." It whispered. "I'll be waiti - Hello. I'm Logos, your artificial lifeform. Please connect me to the Net to start using my services." 

Roman pressed the off button, and they watched as the light on the top turned back on. Virgil closed the door, and put on his bag. He scooped Roman in his arms, and ran, faster than he ever dared to. He ran away from that place, from Logan, from the proof that this life wasn't worth living. He ran through his tears and Roman's gasping sobs. He ran through the static in his ears, a new frequency.

**Author's Note:**

> lmk if you see a typo!  
> hope you like it ❤️💕


End file.
